9781250209153

At the last second, when I close the door, I look back to see Tally
watching me.
I’m not sure how long I sit there for. It’s so cold that I’ll have to go inside
soon, but my heart is aching and I don’t know how to make it stop.
Shouldn’t I have expected this? I mean, I’ve been pretending to move
on, but why wouldn’t Tally actually move on? Is she dating that girl, or
merely hooking up with her? Is she kissing lots of pretty girls at parties?
The back door snaps open behind me. Irene stands there, fiddling with
the long necklace that hangs over her scarlet sweater. She purses her lips
like she’s trying to decide something.
“Don’t tell me you’ve come to gloat,” I mumble. “I’ve already realized
my plan has backfired. I don’t need you to rub it in.”
She sits next to me, kicking her wedge boots against the steps. “It’s truly
heartwarming how you always expect the best from me.”
“So you’re not here to gloat?”
“I’m here to tell you that your ex-girlfriend looks like a terrible kisser,
and the only person I feel sorry for is that poor girl whose face she was
chewing on. Seriously, that was heinous. Did you even like kissing her?”
I’m not sure why I answer. “I thought I did.”
“It sucks you had to see that. She could have done that somewhere
private. She knows you’re here.”
I drop my head into my hands, tugging at the roots of my hair. “She was
watching me for my reaction.”
“I know. I saw her.”
“Thora thinks she’s manipulative,” I admit.
“No shit. It’s almost like she gets off on it or something.” She snorts
derisively, sounding more like herself again. “Fucking weirdo.”
Without meaning to, I laugh.
“To be fair, though,” Irene says, and her voice changes to something
more serious, “you were trying to manipulate her, too. She just got there
first.”
I glare at her. “So you are gloating.”